âYou shouldnât choose Argent Snow,â a familiar voice sounded behind Lu Yun. He turned around to see that Xing Chen had arrived at some point in time.
He tilted his head, discovering that the formidable Nihil World Sovereign was⊠a child? Sheâd taken the appearance of a seventeen year old young woman last time he saw her, but this time, she looked to be even younger.
She seemed to be only twelve years old and had the most charming features. Apart from her frosty expression, she appeared just like a porcelain doll.
âWhy do you⊠look like this?â Tongue-tied, Lu Yun stared at Xing Chen.
Her face darkened noticeably and she grumbled, âThis is the ninth floor of the Mount Buzhou treasury. All beings can only appear in their true form unless your strength and cultivation level exceeds the Star Sovereign Kingâs.â
She was immensely dissatisfied and highly suspected that Ah Zhi had created this rule specifically for her. After her cultivation deviated one time in her youth, her true external appearance had been held at twelve years old ever since. Sheâd tried numerous ways to reverse the change, but nothing was successful in facilitating her growth.
Though Xing Chen now stood at the peak of Nihil World Sovereign and was about to activate sequence, she still looked like a twelve year old child.
Her appearance was sure to invite jokes and laughterâwhile no one would dare make fun of her to her face, sheâd changed her appearance with illusions nonetheless.
âI see.â Lu Yun looked down at himself. His Shapeshifting death art was still active and he remained in the form of Feng Feifan. It wasnât that his strength was greater than Ah Zhiâs, but that death arts were so wondrous theyâd changed his body structure for the disguise.
The Feng Feifan of the mythological realm had been a replica that Lu Yun created from a heaven defying treasure and severed karmic ties with. When his past self transformed into a dao fruit, Feng Feifan had naturally crumbled away to dust.
With Lu Yun being Feng Feifan at the moment, the rules within the treasury didnât affect his appearance.
âAlright, letâs cut the nonsense. You should choose the Profound Pagoda.â Xing Chen changed the subject. Though she tried to keep the usual arctic tones in her voice, her words still carried a trace of languid sweetness as befitting a twelve year old child.
âDonât you dare laugh! The pagoda is the first of the eight soul weapons. If youâre strong enough, thatâs the one you should pick.â Xing Chen almost erupted with outrage when she looked at Lu Yunâs beet red face. He was flushed with the exertion of holding his amusement in.
âI have the Profound Pagoda already.â He brought out the Army Pagoda with a flip of his hand.
âIs that⊠the legendary Army Pagoda?â Xing Chen blinked. âBut the rules within it have changed and itâs no longer a soul weapon.
âWell, since you have the Army Pagoda, it would indeed be inappropriate to choose another Profound Pagoda. Then you should take Lunar Pivot,â she thought for a moment. âOr Serene Annex.â
âWhy not Argent Snow?â Lu Yun frowned. He was already holding it in his hand and had subdued it. He only needed to infuse it with his soul force to use it.
âThe sect possesses the complete legacies and battle methods of the other three weapons. Only Argent Snow lacks anything other than the weapon,â Xing Chen explained. âWe also only have ten of themâI got them when I destroyed another sect. Itâs not one of our own inheritances.
âThe only person who is better skilled with it is Xing Mochouâs head disciple, Xing Heng. Heâs part of the remnants of the sect I destroyed and he joined us for revenge.â
Having interrogated the traitorous disciple, she now knew everything about him. Sheâd already executed him and scattered his soul upon the wind. Anyone who joined the Star Sect with such ulterior motives would meet with the same ignoble end.
âSince heâs one of the remnants of that sect, you should be able to search his mind for information about Argent Snow, no?â Lu Yun was a bit surprised that Xing Chen didnât mention the destroyed sectâs name. There were some other things at play here that he plainly wasnât privy to.
âNo.â Xing Chen shook her head. âI felt it was too much of a hassle and just killed him.â
âAnd you donât think coming to persuade me is too much of a hassle?â Lu Yun blurted out.
She raked him with a frosty look. âThe Star Sovereign King is too lazy to come, so she sent me instead. This is incredibly annoying. Just take it if youâre not willing to switch to another.â She left without further ado.
Lu Yun rubbed his forehead and looked at Xing Chenâs departing back, then at Argent Snow in his hand. Though he was a Nihil World Sovereign and skilled in formula dao, soul weapons were too powerful and versatile. He did indeed need one with a heritage that he could study.
An Argent Snow without a background would be less useful than the Profound Pagoda, Serene Annex, or Lunar Pivot.
âWhich one should I choose?â His head was starting to ache. Argent Snow was most suited to him out of the four soul weapons, but his current mastery of formula dao couldnât derive anything about its specific uses.
âXing Heng used its Domain of First Snowfall to pierce through the worlds that I projected from the Metal and Water Virtue OrbsâŠâ
It was the first time in his life to be so indecisive as he didnât know what to do. Soul weapons were more than just a tool, they were also a cultivation path from which there could be no turning back.
âArgent Snow it is!â He grit his teeth and banished all other thoughts. His first choice had been Argent Snow, so he should follow his gut and hold true to his first inclination.
He infused his soul force into Argent Snow.
Silver snowflakes drifted through the voidâone hundred and eight in total. This was the first stage out of three in its domains. The snowflakes could be shaped into swords, formations, and talismans.
âSince youâve chosen Argent Snow, you can visit Ingress Sword Island. There may be its legacy there. And, the sect I destroyed was one established by the Sword Clan. Argent Snow is one of their soul weapons,â came Xing Chenâs voice laden with schadenfreude. âHowever, youâre a Star Sect disciple. That Her Sovereign Majesty permits you to come to the ninth level means you have the right to access it, but privilege and obligation go hand in hand. Since youâve obtained Argent Snow, youâre in charge of finding its inheritance.â
âThat⊠was on purpose!â he chuckled ruefully. âWhat a nice show of push and pull! She wasnât here to persuade me to give up Argent Snow, but to make sure I would choose it and search out its legacy!
âIf Ingress Sword Island doesnât have it, she probably wants me to go search among the Sword Clan. But I wouldâve gone even without this!â
The forefather of the Sword Clan was Quiet.
<blockquote><b>Translator's Thoughts</b>Ayy full circle.